^ 


PSALMODY 



IS  THE  USE  OF  UNINSPIRED 

SONGS  IN  THE  WORSHIP 

OF  GOD  AUTHORIZED? 


PROF.  R.  J.  GEORGE,  D.  D. 


"Let  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly  in  all 
wisdom ;  teaching  and  admonishing  one  another  in 
psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  singing  with 
grace  in   your   hearts  to  the    Lord." — Col.    3-16. 


WHEN  there  are  differences  in  belief 
among  Christians  on  any  subject,  it  is 
always  helpful  to  inquire  how  far  they 
agree,  and  thus  ascertain  the  exact  point  at 
which  opinions  begin  to  diverge.  In  regard  to 
the  songs  to  be  employed  in  the  praise  of  God 
there   are   several  points  of  general   agreement. 

1.  It  is  agreed  that  the  Psalms  were  given 
by  divine  inspiration,  and  are  the  very  word 
of  God.  "David,  the  son  of  Jesse  said,  and  the 
man  whlo  was  raised  up  on  high,  the  anointed 
of  the  God  of  Jacob,  and  the  sweet  psalmist  of 
Israel  said,  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by 
me,  and  his  word  was  in  my  tongue. "  (2  Sam. 
23:1-2).  "Men  and  brethren,  this  scripture 
must  needs  have  been  fulfilled,  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  by  the  mouth  of  David  spake  before 
concerning  Judas  which  was  guide  to  them 
that  took  Jesus."  (Acts  1:16).  (See  also 
Acts   4:25;    Heb.   3:7   et   al.).     Men   should   be 


careful  how  they  speak  against  the  Book  of 
Psalms.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  its  author.  This 
is  the  first  point  of  agreement. 

2.  It  is  agreed  that  these  inspired  Psalms 
were  appointed  by  God  to  be  used  in  His  wor- 
ship. "Sing  unto  Him;  sing  psalms  unto  Him." 
(1  Chron.  16:9).  Moreover  Hezekiah  the 
king,  and  the  princes  commanded  the  Levites 
to  sing  praise  unto  the  Lord  with  the  words  of 
David  and  of  Asaph  the  seer."  (2  Clhron. 
29:30).  "Let  us  come  before  his  presence 
with  thanksgiving,  and  make  a  jloyful  noise 
unto  Him  with  psalms."  (Ps.  95:2)  Bible 
expositors  and  church  historians  alike  agree 
that  the  inspired  psalms  were  exclusively  used 
in  the  worship  of  the  Old  Testament.  God  ap- 
pointed them  to  be  used  and  no  one  but  God 
can  change  the  appointment.  This  is  the  sec- 
ond point   of   agreement. 

3.  It  is  agreed  that  so  far  as  the  record 
goes  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  used  the  Psalms 
exclusively  in  worship.  Only  on  one  occasion 
is  our  Lord  referred  to  as  singing.  This  was 
in  connection  with  the  observance  of  the  pass- 
over.  It  is  said,  "And  when  they  had  sung  an 
hymn,  they  went  out  into  the  mount  of 
Olives."  (Matt.  26:30;  Mark  14:26).  Biblical 
scholars  are  not  misled  by  the  ■  use  of  the 
word  "hymn"  in  our  translation  of  this  verse. 
The  original  simply  states  the  fact  that  they 
sang  praises  to  God.  In  the  margin  it  reads, 
"When  they  had  sung  a  psalm."  It  is  a  well 
kniown  fact  that  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to 
sing  at  the  passover  the  great  Hallel  which 
consisted  of  Psalms  113th  to  118th  inclusive. 
Certainly  our  Lord  and  his  apostles  did  not 
depart  from  this  usage.  Strange  indeed  it 
would  have  been  if  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  al- 
ways exalted  and  honored  the  Holy  Spirit,  had 

2 


put  aside  the  sacred  siongs  which  He  had  in- 
dited for  this  very  purpose.  But  He  did  not. 
Those  who  would  follow  closely  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Jesus  should  sing  Psalms.  Jesus  did. 
This  is  the  third  point  of  agreement. 

4.  It  is  agreed  that  we  have  express  au- 
thority for  the  use  of  the  Old  Testament 
Psalms  in  the  New  Testament  Church.  "Let 
the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly  in  all 
wisdom,  teaching  and  admonishing  one  an- 
other in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual 
songs,  singing  with  grace  in  your  hearts  unto 
the  Lord."  (Col.  3:16).  Whatever  differences 
of  view  there  may  be  as  to  the  "hymns  and 
spiritual  songs",  all  agree  that  the  psalms 
here  spfoken  of  are  the  inspired  Psalms  of 
Scripture.  The  passage  therefore  contains  an 
express  warrant  for  the  continued  use  of  the 
Psalter  in  the  New  Testament  church.  This 
is  not  denied  by  any  one.  This  is  the  fourth 
point  of  agreement. 

It  is  not  denied  that  there  are  opinions, 
held  by  individuals,  contrary  tio  one  or  an- 
other of  these  four  points,  but  affirmed  that 
there  is  a  general  agreement  among  all 
classes  of  evangelical  Christians  in  these  con- 
clusions. 

We  have  now  reached  the  exact  point  of  di- 
vergence. While  all  agree  that  the  psalms  re- 
ferred to  in  Col.  3:16  are  the  Bible  Psalms, 
there  are  many  who  maintain  that  the  "hymns 
and  spiritual  songs"  are  mere  human  compo- 
sitions; and  that  the  New  Testament  church  is 
hereby  authorized  and  instructed  to  add  to  her 
book  of  praises  the  writings  of  uninspired  men. 
This  is  the  crucial  text  on  this  subject.  If  this 
test  contains  a  clear  warrant  for  the  use  lof 
uninspired  hymns,  other  passages  may  lend  it 
support;  but  if  that  warrant  is  not  found  here, 
it  is  not  found  anywhere.  The  advocates  of 
hymn-singing  will  admit  the  truth  of  this 
statement. 

3 


It  is  now  undertaken  to  show  that  not  only 
does  this  passage  not  authorize  the  use 
of  uninspired  songs  in  worship,  but 
that  it  enjoins  the  exclusive  use 
of  the  Psalms  of  the  Bible. 
First.  No  warrant  can  be  found  for  the  use 
of  uninspired  songs,  in  the  words,  "hymns  and 
spiritual  songs."  At  first  view  these  words 
seem  to  be  conclusive  in  favor  of  the  advocate 
of  hymn-singing.  In  the  Greek  text  it  is 
"psalmois,  humnois,  odais  pneumatikais", 
"psalms,  hymns,  songs  spiritual."  Now  these 
three  Greek  names  are  all  found  in  the  titles 
to  the  Psalms  in  the  Greek  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  which  was  in  use  among  the 
people  to  whom  Paul  wrote  this  epistle.  They 
loccur  many  times  in  the  titles  to  the  various 
psalms.  The  word  "psalmois"  about  sixty- 
nine  times,  the  word  "humnois"  six  times,  and 
another  word  "  'alleluia,"  which  has  precisely 
the  same  import,  about  twenty  times,  and  the 
word  "odais"  mostly  in  the  singular  form, 
"ode,"  thirty-cflour  times.  With  the  fact  before 
us  that  these  three  words  are  all  actually 
found  many  times  in  the  titles  to  the  inspired 
Psalms  and  when  we  all  agree  that  the  word 
"psalmois"  does  refer  to  inspired  songs — is  it 
not  most  unreasonable  to  insist  that  "humnois 
and  odais"  mean  uninspired  songs.  As  if  to 
remove  all  possible  doubt  the  word  "spiritual" 
is  used  to  qualify  the  words.  Thayer  in  his 
Lexicon  of  the  New  Testament,  referring  to 
this  passage  and  the  similar  one,  Ephesians 
5:19,  defines  the  word  "spiritual"  as  "divinely 
inspired  and  so  redjolent  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 
Albert  Barnes  in  his  commentary  on  1  Cor- 
inthians 10:3,  "And  did  all  eat  of  the  same 
spiritual  meat,  and  did  all  drink  of  the  same 
spiritual  drink,"  says,  "The  word  spiritual  is 
evidently  used  to  denote  that  which  is  given 
by  the  Spirit,  by  God;  that  which  was  the  re- 
sult of  his  miraculous  gift;  that  which  was 
not  produced  in  the  ordinary  way."  Again, 
"The  word  'spiritual'  must  be  used  in  the 
sense   of  super-natural   or  that  which   is   im- 

4 


mediately  given  by  God."  Hence  "spiritual 
songs"  are  songs  produced  in  a  super-natural 
manner,  those  given  immediately  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  It  is  just  is  if  it  read,  "Teaching  and 
admonishing  one  another  in  psalms  and  hymns 
and  songs  given  by  the  Holy  Spirit."  What 
songs  are  these?  The  sweet  psalmist  of 
Israel  answers,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake 
by  me  and  his  word  was  in  my  tongue."  These 
very  names,  therefore,  which  have  been  relied 
upon  as  furnishing  a  warrant  for  the  use  of 
uninspired  sfongs  we  find  to  be  well  known 
titles  for  the  Psalms  of  the  Bible,  and  that  as 
qualified  by  the  word  "spiritual"  they  cannot 
be  used  to  designate  uninspired  songs,  but  fur- 
nish a  warrant  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the 
songs  of  the  spirit. 

Second.  The  Psalms  are  in  an  eminent 
sense  "the  word  of  Christ."  "Let  the  word  of 
Christ  dwell  in  you  richly  in  all  wisdom.  This 
is  the  condition  of  being  able  to  "teach  and  ad- 
monish." How  are  the  psalms  "the  word  of 
Christ?" 

1.  Christ  by  His  Spirit  is  the  author  of 
them.       This  has  been  fully  shown  above. 

2.  Christ  is  the  speaker  in  many  of  them. 

For  instance,  "I  will  declare  the  decree,  the 
Lord  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  Son;  this  day 
have  I  begotten  thee."  (Psalm  2:7.)  "Then 
said  I,  Lo,  I  come,  in  the  volume  of  the  book 
it  is  written  of  me."  (Psalm  40:7.)  "My  God 
my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 
(Psalm  22:1.  )  Such  Psalms  as  these  are  the 
word  of  Christ  in  the  same  sense  that  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  his  wlord.  He  and  no 
one  else  is  the  speaker  in  them. 

3.  Christ  alone  is  the  subject  of  many  of 
them.  The  most  ignorant  and  senseless  ob- 
jection ever  made  to  the  Psalms  is  the  charge 
that  they  are  "Christless."  The  truth  is  that 
no  book  in  the  Bible  reveals  Christ  with  such 
fullness  as  is  done  in  the  Book  of  Psalms,  not 
excepting  the  gospel  by  John  or  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews. 

5 


WHAT  MAY  WE   LEARN   OF   CHRIST 
FROM  THIS  WONDERFUL  BOOK? 

1.  His  Divinity.  Psalm  45:6,  "Thy  throne, 
0  God,  is  forever  and  ever."  In  Heb.  1-8,  this 
is  quoted  as  the  address  of  the  Father  to  the 
Son.  "But  unto  the  Son  He  saith,  Thy  throne, 
0  God,  is  forever  and  ever."  Ps.  110:1,  "The 
Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  at  my  right 
hand  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  foot- 
stool." In  Matt.  22:42-45,  this  is  quoted  by 
our  Lord  to  prove  his  divinity. 

2.  His  eternal  Sonship.  Psalm  2:7,  "I  will 
declare  the  decree,  the  Lord  said  unto  me, 
Thou  art  my  Son;  this  day  have  I  begotten 
thee."  In  Heb.  1:5,  this  is  quoted  as  the  ad- 
dress of  the  Father  to  the  Christ.  See  also 
Psalm  2:7  compared  with  Acts  13:33. 

3.  His  incarnation.  Psalm  8:5,  "For  thou 
has  made  him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
and  hast  crowned  Him  with  glory  and  honor." 
In  Heb.  2:7  this  is  quoted  and  in  verse  9th  is 
applied  to  the  incarnation.  "But  we  see  Jesus 
who  was  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels 
for  the  suffering  of  death  crowned  with  glory 
and  honor;  that  He  by  the  grace  of  God  should 
taste  death  for  every  man."  Ps.  40:7,  "Then 
said  I,  Lo,  I  come  in  the  vfolume  of  the  book  it 
is  written  of  me."  In  Heb.  10:5-10,  this  pas- 
sage with  its  context  is  quoted  as  direct  proof 
of  the  incarnation  and  its  purpose,  being  in- 
troduced by  the  words,  "Wherefore  when  He 
cjometh  unto  the  world  He  saith." 

4.  His   Mediatorial   offices. 

a.  His  prophetical  office.  Psalm  40:9,  10, 
"I  have  preached  righteousness  in  the  great 
congregation;  lo,  I  have  not  refrained  my  lips, 
O  Lord,  thou  knowest.  I  have  nlot  hid  thy 
righteousness  within  my  heart;  I  have  de- 
clared thy  faithfulness  and  thy  salvation;  I 
have   not  concealed    thy   loving    kindness   and 

6 


thy  truth  from  the  great  congregation. "  What 
a  matchless  description  of  the  prophetical 
office!  Heb.  10:5-7,  shows  conclusively  the 
speaker  as  Christ.  See  also  Ps.  22:22  com- 
pared with  Heb.  2:12. 

b.  His  priestly  office.  Psalm  110:4,  "The 
Lord  hath  sworn  and  will  not  repent.  Thou 
art  a  priest  forever  after  the  order  of  Mel- 
chizedek."  In  Heb.  7:17-21,  this  is  quoted  to 
prove  the  superiority  of  the  Priesthood  of 
Christ,  as  it  is  said,  "By  so  much  was  Jesus 
made  a   surety  of  a  better  testament." 

c.  His  kingly  office.  Psalm  45:6,  "Thy 
throne,  0  God,  is  forever  and  ever;  the  sceptre 
of  thy  kingdom  is  a  right  sceptre. "  In  Heb. 
1:8  this  is  quoted  as  the  address  of  the  Father 
to  the  Son.  Ps.  110:1,  "The  Lord  said  unto  my 
Lord,  sit  thou  at  my  right  hand  until  I  make 
thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  In  Matt.  22:44, 
45,  our  Lord  referred  this  directly  to  Himself, 
and  in  Heb.  1:13,  it  is  quoted  to  prove  the 
exaltation  of  Jesus  above  the  angels.  See  also 
Ps.  2  and  72  throughout  and  Ps.  22:28. 

5.  His  betrayal.  Psalm  41:9,  "Yea,  mine 
own  familiar  friend  in  whom  I  trusted,  which 
did  eat  of  my  bread,  hath  lifted  up  his  heel 
against  me."  In  John  13:18  Jesus  says,  "But 
that  the  scripture  may  be  fulfilled.  He  that 
eateth  bread  with  me  hath  lifted  up  his  heel 
against   me." 

6.  His  agony  in  the  garden.  Psalm  22:2-, 
"0  my  God,  I  cry  in  the  daytime,  but  thou 
hearest  not  and  in  the  night  season  and  am 
not  silent.  But  thou  art  holy,  0  thou  that  in- 
habitest  the  praises  lof  Israel."  Also  verses 
11  and  19,  compare  with  these  Matt.  26.36-44, 
Mark  14:32-42.  Luke  22:41-44,  and  Heb.  5:7. 

7.  His  trial.  Psalm  35:11,  "False  witnesses 
did  rise  up;  they  laid  to  my  charge  things  that 
I  knew  not."  In  Matt.  26:59-60,  we  read, 
"Now  the  chief  priests  and  elders  and  all  the 

7 


council  sought  false  witness  against  Jesus  to 
put  him  to  death,  but  found  none;  yea  though 
many  false  witnesses  came,  yet  found  they 
none.     At  the  last  came  two  false  witnesses. " 

8.  His  rejection.  Psalm  22:6,  "But  I  am  a 
wlorm,  and  no  man;  a  reproach  of  men  and 
despised  of  the  people";  compare  with  this 
Matt.  27:21-23  and  Luke  23:18-23.  "And  they 
cried  out  all  at  once,  saying.  Away  with  this 
man  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas  (who  for 
a  certain  sedition  made  in  the  city  and  for 
murder  was  cast  into  prison).  Pilate  there- 
fore, willing  to  release  Jesus,  spake  again  to 
them.  But  they  cried,  saying,  'Crucify  him, 
crucify  him/'  Ps.  118:22,  "The  stione  which 
the  builders  refused  is  become  the  headstone 
of  the  corner.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing;  it  is 
marvelous  in  our  eyes."  In  Matt.  21:42,  our 
Lord  quotes  these  very  words  against  the  Jews 
for  their  rejection  of  him.  And  the  Aplostle 
Peter  in  Acts  4:11  says,  "This  is  the  stone 
which  is  set  at  nought  of  you  builders,  which 
is  become  the  head  of  the   corner." 

9.  His  crucifixion.  Psalms  22d  and  69th 
describe  the  scenes  of  the  crucifixion  with  a 
minuteness  almost  equal  to  that  of  the  four 
gospels.  The  mockery,  the  shaking  the  head 
the  parting  the  garments,  the  casting  lots  on 
the  vesture,  the  thirst,  the  vinegar  and  the 
gall,  the  pierced  hands  and  feet,  the  cry  of 
the  forsaken,  the  committing  of  his  spirit  to 
God.  Psalm  22  opens  with  the  cry,  "My  God, 
my  God,  why  hast  thlou  forsaken  me,"  and  the 
closing  words  have  been  rendered,  "It  is  fin- 
ished." 

10.  His  burial  and  resurrection.  Psalm  16: 
9-11,  "Therefore  my  heart  is  glad  and  my 
glory  rejoiceth;  my  flesh  also  shall  rest  in 
hope.  For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell, 
neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see 
corruption.  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of 
life;  in  thy  presence  is  fulness  of  joy;  at  thy 
right  hand  there  are  pleasures  forevermore." 

8 


Peter,  the  apostle,  after  quoting  these  words, 
says:  "Men  and  brethren  let  me  freely  speak 
unto  yfou  of  the  patriarch  David,  that  he  is 
both  dead  and  buried,  and  his  sepulchre  is  with 
us  unto  this  day.  Therefore,  being  a  prophet, 
and  knowing  that  God  had  sworn  with  an  oath 
to  him,  that  of  the  fruit  of  his  loins,  according 
to  the  flesh,  he  Would  raise  up  Christ  to  sit  on 
his  throne;  he  seeing  this  before  spake  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  that  his  soul  was  not 
left  in  hell,  neither  his  flesh  did  see  corrup- 
tion. This  Jesus  hath  God  raised  up,  whereof 
we  all  are  witnesses."     Acts  2:29-32'. 

11.  His  ascension.  Psalm  47:5,  "God  is 
gone  up  with  a  shout,  the  Lord  with  the  sound 
of  a  trumpet."  In  Acts  1:11,  it  is  said,  "This 
same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into 
heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye 
have  seen  him  go  into  heaven."  And  in  1 
Thess.  4:16,  the  manner  of  his  second  coming 
is  thus  described:  "For  the  Lord  himself  shall 
descend  frtom  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the 
voice  of  the  archangel  and  with  the  trump  of 
God."  This  is  the  very  terms  of  the  Psalm. 
Ps.  68:18:  "Thou  hast  ascended  on  high,  thou 
hast  led  captivity  captive;  thou  hast  received 
gifts  for  men,  yea  for  the  rebellious  also  that 
the  Lord  God  might  dwell  among  them."  In 
Eph.  4:8-10,  the  Apostle  Paul  quotes  these 
verses  to  prove  the  ascension  of  our  Lord,  and 
his  ascension  gifts  to  his  church.,  "Wherefore 
he  saith,  When  he  ascended  up  on  high  he  led 
captivity  captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto  men." 
"And  he  gave  some  apostles  and  some 
prophets,"  etc.  See  also  Ps.  24:7-10  as  com- 
pared with  Rev.   5:6-14. 

12.  His  second  coming.  Psalm  50:3-6, 
"Our  God  shall  come  and  shall  not  keep  si- 
lence. A  fire  shall  devour  before  him,  and  it 
shall  be  very  tempestuous  round  about  him 
He  shall  call  to  the  heavens  frtom  above  and  to 
the  earth  that  he  may  judge  his  people. 
Gather  my  saints  together  unto  me,  those  that 


have  made  a  covenant  with  me  by  sacrifice. 
And  the  heavens  shall  declare  his  righteous- 
ness, for  God  is  judge  himself." 

Concerning  the  same  even  Christ  says: 
"And  then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of 
man  in  heaven;  and  then  shall  the  tribes  of 
the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the  Spn 
of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
power  and  great  glory.  And  he  shall  send  his 
angels  with  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet  and 
they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the 
four  winds  from  one  end  of  heaven  tio  the 
other."     Matt.   24:30,   31. 

Well  said  Jesus,  "It  is  written  in  the 
Psalms  concerning  me."  "The  sufferings  of 
Christ  and  the  glory  that  should  follow,"  are 
here  unfolded,  and  these  Psalms  and  hymns 
and  spiritual  songs  are  replete  with  Christ.  If 
any  one  will  examine  and  compare  these  pas- 
sages he  will  readily  believe  that  when  Paul 
wrlote,  "Let  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you 
richly  in  all  wisdom,"  it  was  as  if  he  said, 
"Memorize  the  Psalms." 

Third.  Uninspired  songs  cannot  be  placed 
on  a  level  with  the  songs  of  inspiration  as  the 
rule    for    "teaching     and    admonishing."     All 

agree  that  the  "Psalms"  of  the  text  are  the  in- 
spired Psalms,  the  very  word  of  God.  "Teach- 
ing" refers  to  doctrine,  what  we  are  to  be- 
lieve. "Admonishing"  refers  to  practice,  how 
we  are  to  live.  It  is  not  conceivable  that  Paul 
would  place  the  writings  of  uninspired  men  on 
a  level  with  the  Psalms  of  the  Bible  as  a 
standard  of  doctrine  and  practice.  "The  scrip- 
tures of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are  the 
word  'of  God,  the  only  rule  of  faith  and 
obedience." 

Uninspired  hymns  abound  in  errors.  Dr. 
(Cook,  of  Belfast,  says,  "I  never  yet  found  a 
compilation  of  hymns  that  I  could  pronounce 
free  from  serious  doctrinal  errors."  In  1838 
the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly,  0.  S.,  ap- 

10 


pointed  a  committee  to  revise  their  hymn 
book.  In  their  report  they  say,  "On  a  critical 
examination  we  found  many  hymns  deficient 
in  literary  merit,  some  incorrect  in  doctrine, 
and  many  altogether  unsuitable  for  the  sanc- 
tuary.^ What  an  indictment  to  bring  against 
the  bfook  which  their  own  church  had  substi- 
tuted for  God's  book  of  praise!  Does  anyone 
suppose  that  Paul  referred  to  such  "hymns 
and  spiritual  songs"  as  these,  and  placed  them 
on  a  level  with  the  Psalms  of  the  Bible  for 
teaching  and  admonition? 

Ffourth.  The  inspired  Psalms  alone  are 
adapted  to  be  the  vehicles  of  grace  to  the 
heart  and  of  praise  to  the  Lord.  "Singing  with 
grace  in  your  hearts  to  the  Lord."  Here  are 
two  things:  the  awakening  of  gracious  af- 
fections in  the  heart,  and  the  uplifting  of  the 
soul  to  God.  Two  characteristics  of  the  in- 
spired Psalms  mark  their  adaptation  to  this 
two-fold  purpose,  viz:  their  devotional  spirit, 
and  their  objective  nature. 

1.  The  Psalms  are  devotional.  The  Psalter 
is  in  a  preeminent  sense  the  devotional  book 
!of  the  Bible.  All  Christians  recognize  this  in 
their  personal  devotional  reading.  It  occu- 
pies a  large  place  in  the  services  of  liturgical 
churches.  Ambrose  says:  "Although  all  di- 
vine scripture  breathes  the  grace  of  God,  yet 
sweet  beyond  all  others  is  the  Book  of 
Psalms."  It  is  sometimes  lobjected  that  the 
psalms  are  not  adapted  to  awaken  gracious 
affections  in  the  soul  and  therefore  cannot  be 
successfully  employed  in  revivals.  Such  a 
view  is  utterly  mistaken. 

Think  for  a  moment  of  the  contents  of  the 
bobk;  its  views  of  God;  its  views  of  man;  its 
views  of  law;  its  views  *of  sin;  its  views  of 
Christ;  its  views  of  repentance;  its  views  of 
pardon;  its  views  of  covenant  relationship;  its 
views  of  the  new  life;  its  views  of  judgment; 
its  views  of  heaven;  its  views  of  hell.  What 
is  there  that  is  needed  for  revival  that  it  does 

11 


not  contain?  And  what  book  is  more  likely  to 
be  honored  by  the  Holy  Spirit  than  his  own 
book?  As  Dr.  J.  W.  Bain  has  said,  "They  will 
be  found  suitable  for  any  revival  that  domes 
down;  those  revivals  that  are  'gotten  up'  may 
need    something    less    divine." 

The  fact  is  that  the  greatest  revivals  of  re- 
ligion the  world  has  ever  seen  have  been  con- 
nected with  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Psalms. 
They  were  used  exclusively  in  the  great  re- 
vivals in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  Josiah,  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah.  The  same  was  true  in  the  re- 
vival at  Pentecost  when  three  thousand  were 
converted  in  one  day.  The  period  of  the  Ref- 
ormation was  a  grand  revival  period,  and  it 
was  a  glorious  revival  of  psalm-singing.  The 
Calvinistic  Reformers  used  them  exclusively. 
All  France  was  thrilled  with  their  music  in 
the  days  of  the  Huguenots.  They,  alone,  were 
used  in  the  Scottish  church  on  that  wonderful 
day  at  the  kirk  of  Shotts  when  under  Living- 
ston five  hundred  were  converted  by  one  ser- 
mon. In  the  times  of  Robert  McCheyne,  when 
they  continued  their  meetings  until  near  mid- 
night, they  made  the  seasons  of  the  night  glad 
singing  the  songs   of   Zion. 

Jonathan  Edwards  bears  this  testimony  as 
to  their  use  in  the  great  Northampton  revival 
in  New  England  in  his  days.  "One  of  the  mlost 
observable  features  of  the  work  was  the  singu- 
lar delight  which  all  the  awakened  appeared 
to  take  in  singing  psalms.  In  houses  in  the 
fields,  in  the  woods,  alone  and  together,  they 
spake  forth  the  praises  of  their  King;  and 
even  little  children  and  aged  persons  who  had 
never  before  learned  t)o  sing,  came  to  sing 
praises   with    solemnity  and   sweetness." 

2.  The  Psalms  are  objective.  In  this  re- 
gard the  inspired  songs  are  in  striking  con- 
trast with  human  compositions.  Hymns  are 
subjective.  Men  write  about  themselves,  their 
states  and  experiences,  their  high  resolves. 
They  are   introspective.   They   are   self-center- 

12 


ed.  But  the  Psalms  are  objective.  They  are 
God-centered.  The  soul  loloks  outward  and 
upward.  They  lead  the  soul  reverently  to 
adore  God  in  the  beauty  of  holiness  and  de- 
voutly to  bow  before  his  throne  as  the  hearer 
of  prayer.  This  is  true  devlotion.  "Worship 
God."  It  thus  appears  that  the  Psalms  of 
the  Bible  are  eminently  adapted  to  be  the 
vehicles  of  grace  to  the  heart,  and  praise  to 
the  Lord.  "Singing  with  grace  in  your  hearts 
to  the  Lord." 

We  conclude,  therefore,  that  this  passage 
which  has  always  been  relied  upon  by  the  ad- 
vocates lof  hymn-singing  as  containing  a  war- 
rant for  their  practices  has  no  such  meaning. 
The  titles,  "Psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual 
songs,"  belong  to  the  inspired  Psalms,  and  as 
qualified  by  the  word  "spiritual"  are  not  true 
.of  any  other.  The  Psalms  are  "the  word  of 
Christ";  uninspired  songs  are  not  his  word  in 
the  Bible  sense;  the  Psalms  are  a  true  stand- 
ard for  "teaching  and  admonishing";  unin- 
spired songs  are  not;  the  Psalms  are  adapted 
to  be  the  vehicles  of  grace  to  the  heart  and 
of  praise  to  the  Lord;  as  uninspired  songs  are 
not.  The  passage  furnishes  no  warrant  for 
the  use  of  uninspired  songs  in  worship,  but  is 
an  explicit  apostolic  injunction  that  in  the 
praise  service  of  the  New  Testament  church 
the  divinely  authorized  Psalmody  should  be 
continued. 

We  cannfot  close  without  an  earnest  appeal 
to  the  (Christian  heart  in  behalf  of  two  things. 

1.  The  restoration  of  God's  own  Psalter  to 
a  place  in  the  hymnals  of  all  the  Churches. 
The  present  movement  in  this  direction  should 
have  the  hearty  co-operation  of  every  Chris- 
tian. Its  rejection  has  been  in  disregard  of 
the  divine  appointment,  and  of  the  example  of 
our  blessed  Lord,  and  of  the  apostolic  au- 
thority contained  in  this  passage.  It  should 
be  restored  to  its  place  by  the  united  voice  of 

13 


all  Christendom  and  the  joyous  acclaim  of  all 
Christians.  It  would  be  the  bringing  back  of 
the  ark  of  God. 

2.  When  the  Psalter  is  restored  to  its  place 
in  the  hymnals  of  the  iChurches  it  should  be 
used  exclusively  in  the  worship  of  God.  A 
place  may  be  found  for  the  use  of  uninspired 
songs,  but  not  in  worship.  God  must  be 
served  with  his  own. 

Rev.  W.  D.  Ralston  in  "Talks  on  Psalmody," 
relates  the  following  story:  "As  I  trudged 
homeward  I  stopped  at  an  uncle's  and  spent 
the  night  there.  In  the  evening  I  brought  out 
my  hymn  book  and  had  some  singing  with  my 
cousins.  After  I  laid  it  down,  my  uncle  took 
it  up,  put  on  his  glasses,  and  spent  some  time 
in  looking  through  it.  He  was  a  firm  be- 
liever in  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Psalms,  and 
my  book  was  the  hymn-book  of  aniother  de- 
nomination. It  gave  the  hymns,  and  the 
music,  with  the  names  of  the  composers  of 
each  as  far  as  known.  Uncle  read  a  hymn  and 
naming  the  author  said,  'I  know  nothing  lof 
him.'  He  read  another,  and  said,  'I  have  read 
about  the  author  of  this  one.  He  was  a  Ro- 
man Catholic  priest.'  He  read  another,  and 
said,  'I  have  often  read  of  this  author.  He 
was  a  gaod  man  and  an  earnest  Christian  min- 
ister.' He  then  said:  'Now,  John,  if  I  were 
going  to  use  one  of  these  hymns  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God  tonight,  which  do  you  think  I  had 
best  choose,  the  one  about  whose  author  I 
know  nothing,  the  one  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
priest,  or  the  one  by  the  earnest  Christian 
minister'  I  replied,  'The  one  by  the  minister.' 
'True,'  said  he,  'we  should  select  the  one  writ- 
ten by  the  best  man;  and  I  see  by  looking 
through  yiour  book  that  it  contains  many 
hymns  written  by  good  men;  but  if  I  should 
find  in  it  one  composed  by  God  himself ,  would 
it  not  be  better  to  sing  than  one  composed  by 
any  good  man?'  I  replied,  'It  surely  would.' 
After  a  little  he   said,   'I  have  now  carefully 

14 


looked  through  your  book,  and  I  do  not  find 
one  hymn  in  it  marked  'composed  by  God'; 
but  I  have  here  a  little  hymn  book  and  God 
by  his  Holy  Spirit  has  composed  every  hymn 
in  it;  for  Peter  says,  'Holy  men  spake  as  they 
were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.'  As  he  spoke 
he  handed  me  one  of  our  psalm-books  and  the 
manner  in  which  he  presented  his  argument 
made  an  impression  upon  my  mind  that  I 
never  forgot." 

How  conclusive  the  argument  is.  We  ought 
to  serve  God  with  the  best.  God's  own  book 
is  the  best.  When  Ingersoll  said  that  he 
"could  write  a  better  book  than  the  Bible," 
Christians  were  shocked  and  denounced  him 
as  an  "infidel  blasphemer."  How  then  can 
we  say  that  we  can  write  a  better  book  of 
praises  than  God's  Psalter?  If  it  be  true  that 
hymn  books  are  better  than  the  Psalm  book,  it 
marks  the  highest  achievement  of  the  race; 
for  then  man  has  transcended  God  in  his  own 
field.  If  it  be  not  true,  then  the  displacing  of 
the  God-made  Psalter,  by  the  man-made  hymn 
books,  in  God's  worship,  is  an  act  of  most 
daring  presumption. 

At  a  meeting  of  ministers  of  various  de- 
nominations in  an  eastern  city  a  paper  had 
been  read  on  church  Hymnology.  General  dis- 
cussion followed  the  reading.  An  advocate  of 
the  exclusive  use  of  the  inspired  Psalms  em- 
ployed the  following  illustration  with  great 
effect.  "If  I  had  an  important  message  to 
send  to  one  living  in  the  upper  districts  of 
the  city,  I  might  summon  a  messenger  boy 
and  say  to  him:  'Can  you  carry  this  message 
for  me  to  such  a  person  living  in  such  a  part 
of  the  city?'  And  the  boy  would  answer 
doubtfully:  'I  think  I  can.  It  is  true  that  I 
have  never  been  in  that  part  of  the  city,  I 
was  born  near  here.  I  have  heard  of  the  per- 
son to  whom  you  wish  to  send  the  message, 
and  I  think  I  can  find  him.  I  am  willing  to 
try.'     My  message   is    a   very   important   one, 

15 


and  while  satisfied  of  the  good  intentions  of 
this  boy,  I  am  not  assured  of  his  ability  to 
fulfill  the  trust.  So  I  call  up  another  boy  and 
ask  him  the  same  question.  At  once  his  face 
glows  with  intelligence  as  he  answers,  'Oh 
yes,  I  can  carry  your  message  directly  to  his 
home.  I  know  all  about  that  part  of  the 
city.  I  was  born  there.  I  came  from  there. 
In  fact  your  friend  sent  me  down  here  to  find 
you  and  bear  up  any  message  you  might  desire 
to  send  to  him.'  It  would  not  be  difficult  to 
decide  which  of  these  messengers  I  should 
employ.  This  is  an  allegory.  If  I  had  a  mes- 
sage of  praise  to  send  up  to  God  and  I  em- 
ployed a  hymn  to  carry  it,  I  would  feel  un- 
certain about  it.  But  if  I  employed  a  Psalm 
to  carry  it,  I  know  that  it  would  ascend  to 
heaven.  The  Psalm  was  born  there.  It  came 
from  God  to  me;  and  indeed  God  sent  it  to 
me  to  bear  any  message  of  praise  I  might 
wish   to   send  up   to   Him." 


Singing  praise  is  a  part  of  public  social 
worship,  in  which  the  whole  congregation 
should  join;  the  book  of  Psalms  the  divinely 
inspired  Book  of  Psalms  is  well  adapted  to  the 
state  of  the  Church,  and  of  every  member,  in 
all  ages  and  circumstances;  and  these  Psalms, 
to  the  exclusions  of  all  imitations  and  unin- 
spired compositions,  are  to  be  used  in  social 
worship.  Testimony  of  the  Reformed  Pres- 
byterian (Covenanter)  Church,  Chapter  24: 
Section  8. 


WITNESS  COMMITTEE 
Glenshaw,  Pa. 


16 


